It has been known to mount various switches at various, typically outboard, locations on a cantilevered support or housing extending from the steering column of the vehicle for controlling the operation of an automotive vehicle. One example of such arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,772 to Weckenmann et al for "Switch Box And Control Unit Assembly For Automotive Vehicles". In that arrangement, cantilevered, free-standing, multi-faceted, elongated hollow box-like structure is secured to the steering post housing between the steering wheel and the dashboard. A plurality of touch-sensitive switches are located on the surfaces of the structure defined by the facets thereof. The structure includes printed, or integrated circuits to which the switches are connected which, in turn, are attached to a cable which is separably connected to the cabling of the vehicle. Discrete switch functions, such as headlight energization, windshield wiper controls and the like are mounted on discrete, different surfaces of the box-like structures, whereas similar functions with different control effects such as windshield wiper speed can be mounted on the same surface, so that erroneous operation of the switch will not initiate an erroneous function.
In the aforementioned switchbox and control unit assembly of the Weckenmann et al patent, the switches aredisclosed as being of a touch-sensitive type which characteristically undergo substantially no mechanical displacement in providing an electrical signal in response to a touch. To avoid operator confusion, discrete switch functions, such as headlight energization, windshield wiper controls and the like are mounted on discrete, different surfaces of the switchbox. Such arrangement requires a relatively large number of facets to the switchbox if a relatively large number of control functions is to be controlled therefrom. Moreover, the use of such touch-sensitive switches fails to provide the tactile feedback to an operator for tactilely indicating switch location and actuation.
One form of switch assembly finding utilization in automotive application is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,555 to Long et al for "Switch Assembly With Pivoted Actuator". Such switch assembly provides a tactile response to the operator when the switch is actuated. That switch assembly is particularly suitable for a situation in which a mechanically actuated switch is mounted on a printed circuit board which is in turn disposed transversely to a control panel in which the tactile input to the switch actuator is positioned. The switch actuator is journaled into a portion of the switch assembly housing to permit the actuator to pivot. The actuator is offset to that side of the printed circuit board on which the switch is mounted.
While the arrangement of the Long et al patent does provide a tactile response to the operator, it requires a relatively large surface area on both the switch panel and the printed circuit board to accommodate a particular number of switch functions, and thus may not be particularly well suited for those applications in which such space is at a premium.